Ron Riggs, a Fish & Wildlife officer is called to Salutations to find out what could be stealing dogs.  Salutations is an ideal town, built by Berg Brothers, the studio that produced family films.  The site of the town used to be the Edmonds Bombing Range but now a thriving town has sprung up on one side.  On the other side, a billionaire has set up house and is concerned with saving the environment and an ex-soldier has his farm and is looking to buy more land.  Lawyers are fighting it out and something, something very large and dangerous is lurking in the undergrowth.  Unknown to most, the backcountry is home to a lost, thought to be extinct, prehistoric race of bird-like creatures.  While the fight for the land goes on, the flock have its own problems and when man and bird meet, blood and feathers fly.  Intrigue, betrayal and bribery are found in high places as Ron and his co-worker and former lover Mary dig deep in the backcountry and make an amazing discovery. 

James Robert Smith has sold many short stories and this is his first novel.  This reviewer was quite impressed and was captured from the first page on.  An adventure that will remind the reader of Jurassic Park, Mr. Smith has penned a suspense story that reads very well with lots of action and intrigue.  The age old battle of the environmentalists, capitalists and those who just want to be left alone is addressed in this exciting story.  There are some twists and turns as Mr. Smith leads is readers along one path, then turns around and crashes down another.  For a while, the reader will be wondering, who are the good guys and who are the bad.  Mr. Smith writes multi-dimensional characters who have their own personal dilemmas to solve as well as the over-all problem.  Even the flock is a character of its own and Mr. Smith has created a believable, all round story, that will entertain the reader as well as giving food for thought.  This is a story that this reviewer can recommend. 

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